Someone To Answer My Cries
by redireas
Summary: Charlie struggles to find out who he really is while Claire tries to help him without jeopardizing their newfound relationship. Rated T for reference and mild swearing. Enjoy! Chapter 8 up!
1. Mother Mary

**Title: Someone to Answer My Cries**

**Chapter One: Mother Mary**

**Disclaimer: Nope, Nada. I do not own Lost. All of that credit goes to JJ Abrams and the people at ABC. Obviously, I am not one of them.**

**Summary: Charlie decides to tell Claire his secret, hoping that she, of all people, will be able to save him from his haunting past. Rated T for drug reference and mild swear words. R&R.**

**A/N: **This is my first Lost fic, so I hope you all enjoy! This takes place POST Exodus; however, there will not be any reference to the hatch or the raft, because this is strictly a C/C story. I am currently working on a Season Two fiction which I will hopefully post sometime before October, which will include theories, returning/new casts, a little romance, twins and of course, drama. I don't know if I will end up posting it, but for now, it's just an idea in my head.

"_One more kiss could be the best thing  
but one more lie could be the worst  
and all these thoughts are never resting  
and you're not something I deserve." – 3 Doors Down_

**Mother Mary**

It had been almost a week since Charlie had taken the drugs from the African plane, which were now stored with the Virgin Mary statue, protectively hidden under a few blankets. He was scared to death that someone would find it – _Oh, God, not Claire_ – but a blanket was looking like the safest hiding spot in the damned caves! Each morning, he woke up to Mary's gaze, which lingered in his mind, for the next precious hours before he would look upon it again. For six days, he had been able to disregard the drugs, but it was getting harder and harder to everyday.

He would think of the statue constantly. While he was collecting firewood, while he was visiting the spring for some water, even when he was with Claire! And that's what hurt most of all. Knowing that Claire could only save him for so long…

He was twitching his fingers non-stop. He had begun to feel that longing of the heroin on his tongue again, but each time so far, he had managed to stop himself from grabbing the baggies. _Think about Claire_, he would mutter to himself, _and Aaron. You can't do this to them…_

And yet, he knew he could. All it was going to take was a convincing look from the Madonna Figurine and a split-second decision to take the bags for his entire life to spin out of control, again. But, wasn't it spinning already? The drugs had already begun the addicting process by forcing him to think about it regularly. He needed to do something… Burn it!

Yea, burning it sounded like a good idea!

Except for the fact that Charlie couldn't even find the strength to _touch_ the statue, let alone carry it multiple feet away and drop it into a fire! _Damn it_!

He glared at the figurine. _Think about Claire_, he reminded himself again. When he had first brought the drugs back to camp, before they had become so tempting, he had told himself to "think happy thoughts" in order to drive the heroin out of his mind. But now, "happy" was the way he felt when he was high, and he hated himself for thinking that way.

He was a monster.

…A large, uncontrollable, devouring beast that obsessed about its prey.

_No_.

Charlie was looking at the statue once again, perched on his knees, ready to pounce.

_Ex-addict. Ex-addict. Ex-addict. Ex-addict. _

Charlie shook his head and sat back down, still eying the statue. He wouldn't let this come between him and Claire. He was more responsible than that now. He had to be.

"Why?" He asked Mary, his voice echoing lightly around the cave, "Why, now?"

He heard a shuffle of leaves and rocks outside, Charlie's cue to violently cover the drugs with his pillow.

"Charlie?"

Claire walked into the cave, Aaron balanced on her hip. Charlie averted his eyes, ashamed more than ever of his near-acceptance of his previous life.

"Are you alright? I thought I heard you talking."

"No," he answered, allowing his eyes flickering her way for just a moment. "I'm fine."

Claire looked down at him sitting so miserably against the stone wall. He seemed positively hopeless, but from what, she didn't know.

His short answers were concerning her. She remembered with a faint smile how he used to babble unconsciously whenever he saw her. But something had changed. He wouldn't even look her in the eye, for God's sake!

Claire had a theory. Nobody liked to be pressured relentlessly, so why not wait patiently for him to open up?

If he ever opened up, that is…

But Claire had faith in Charlie. She always had and always would. So, re-arranging Aaron in her arms, she sat down cross-legged next to him, musing about his strange behaviors this past week. Five days ago, he had started to get quiet when he talked to her. Three days ago, he started avoiding eye contact. He had gone from cute, babbling idiot, to silent stranger in less than a week.

After a while without exchanged words, Claire moved Aaron into her lap, so she could hold Charlie's arm, and lean her head against his shoulder. He didn't brush her away, but he didn't acknowledge the change either.

"Charlie, why won't you talk to me?"

He didn't even answer, just continued to stare at the fine cracks along the wall.

"You're all quiet, and you don't even…" She paused, placing her hand under his chin, "Charlie, look at me."

When he turned, she could tell he was trying not to cry. His eyes were watery and shiny, and his mouth was quivering slightly.

Claire continued to rest her hand on his cheek as she whispered, "we miss you. Aaron misses you." She gulped, "_I_ miss you."

"Don't say that…" His voice was frustrated, almost pleading.

"What do you mean?" Claire studied his eyes, trying hard to find the cause of his pain hidden within them. But all she found was an indistinctive shadow.

"I'm not a good person, Claire. I'm not who you think I am." Every word was taking so much effort to pronounce, he had to look away from her. "I'm not a hero, okay? You didn't know me before the crash. Claire, I was a mess!"

"Shh…" Claire hugged him sweetly, trying to make his worries go away. "No, you _are_ my hero, Charlie. You brought back Aaron to me."

He put his face in his hands, angry with himself for taking the statue, angry at himself for lying to Claire.

"You made me happy, despite this horrible island. You looked me in the eye, when nobody else would."

At this, Charlie turned around to face her, remembering their conversation in the tent, a lifetime ago.

'_You don't scare me…'_

"Charlie, you had a difficult past, but didn't we all? The important thing is that you admitted you were wrong, and I'm proud of you for that."

"I don't deserve this." His insides twisted with resentment towards himself.

"Of course you do." She attempted to hold him again, but he wouldn't let her.

"NO, I don't!" He stood up, turning his back to her and walking to the other side of the cave. He _didn't_ deserve this! The proof was hiding there, under his pillow.

At the noise Charlie was making, Aaron started to cry.

Claire was quiet a moment, before standing up and cuddling Aaron into her arms. It was her time to leave, she could take a hint. Part of her was sympathetic towards his hurt, but a bigger part was upset that Charlie wouldn't even talk to her about it.

She made her way softly to the entrance of the cave, disappointed at the way he was acting. But just as she stepped outside, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, Claire could see tear marks on his cheeks, but Charlie now looked desperately at her.

"Will you help me?"

**A/N: **So, how is it for my first shot at a "lost-y"? Please review! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Hope you all enjoyed!

Oh, and if I don't update for 10 days, don't worry. I will be on vacation and will update when I get back. I just wanted to get the first chapter out of the way before I left!

-----**RedirEaS**-----


	2. Mouse and Cheese

**Chapter Two: Mouse and Cheese**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lost. If I did, I would be working hard on Season 2, not some silly romance fanfiction! **

**A/N**: I know I shouldn't have updated so quickly, but I love to write… so here you go!

"_Here I am, once again_

_I'm torn into pieces._

_Can't deny it, can't pretend_

_Just thought you were the one._

_Broken up, deep inside_

_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_

_Behind these hazel eyes."- Behind These Hazel Eyes, Kelly Clarkson_

**Mouse and Cheese**

'…_Drug runners in disguise. The plane was loaded with heroin.' _

Heroin.

Charlie was sweating as he led Claire back into the caves. Her heart was pounding as he grabbed her hand, the only contact he'd made with her in a week.

Charlie was scared to about what Claire's reaction would be once he lifted the pillow, revealing the secret he had kept from her for what seemed like years.

Holding both of her hands kindly in his, he squatted down so he was looking at her directly level. "Do you trust me?"

Suddenly, Claire shivered at the thought of his confession. By the looks of it, it wasn't going to be pretty.

She nodded.

"And do you promise, that no matter what I tell you right now, you won't judge me like everyone else?"

"Charlie," Claire moaned quietly, "Just tell me."

But he was determined. "Say it."

Claire sighed, "I promise I won't judge you."

Charlie didn't want to move. For two minutes, he had talked to her more than he had in three days. He didn't want to break her trust just as it was rekindling.

He let go of her as his fingers started twitching and he hid them nervously in the pocket of his jeans. His eyes were darting to his pillow, wondering how the hell he would tell her about it.

_That bloody plane…_

Claire stood still, watching him fidget oddly. "Stop shaking." Charlie was now conscious of his spasms, but made no effort to stop them. Claire reached out for his hand. "It's okay. You can tell me about it."

Aaron's cries had softened to little whimpers and he yawned widely.

Why was he doing this to her? To _them_? Why did he take the drugs? He should've just walked away. He should've ignored the temptation.

But there was no turning back now.

Charlie couldn't speak. He knew he had to tell her… he was sick of lying. He was sick of the constant internal battle whether to take the baggies or not.

All Charlie could do was nod towards his pillow on the ground, feet away from them.

Claire walked over to Charlie's things, wondering what he could be hiding that would scare him so much. When she got there, she lifted the pillow. There was nothing under it but a religious statue.

"What…?"

Charlie's throat was dry, and he was sweating like mad. He tried to say something, to explain himself, but instead, he just choked out one word.

"…Inside."

Claire was beginning feel frightened. Resting Aaron on her side, she bent down to investigate the contents of the Mary figure.

She backed away quickly and closed her eyes, "Oh, God."

"I wanted to get rid of them-"Charlie said hurriedly, trying hard to make it clear that he regretted everything.

Claire's eyes were full of hurt. "You lied to me…"

Charlie shook his head and walked towards her.

"You told me you threw it in the fire." Her voice was rising, and he detected coldness beneath it.

"I _did_." He started approaching her, carefully. He wanted to sooth her, but he needed to calm down first. Patiently he continued, "These are different. I got them _here_, on the island."

"Don't expect me to believe that! You've been stashing them in the caves, haven't you? Even when you told me you were clean!"

"Look," Charlie started, "You know the plane where Boone fell? Well, it turns out it was from Nigeria, and there were dealers aboard and-"

"There just _happened_ to be a large collection of heroin, huh?"

Claire was getting tired of it. She needed to leave, not some lame explanation! She had trusted him. She had believed that he was clean, that he had seen the error of his ways…

"Please, don't go."

Charlie was on his knees, holding her hand, needing her with every bone in his body, "I can't start it up again, Claire. I don't want to. Please, _please_ understand that."

Claire's eyes were full of tears as backed away from him, letting go of his grasp. And then she walked out of the cave, sobbing.

------------------

This was all some crude test, wasn't it? _Ooh, let's crash a plane of messed up people onto an evil island to test their wits! 5 pounds says the conceited druggie won't make it past a week! _Were God and Satan going to pop out of some random bush announcing he failed his after-life test or something? _Sorry, you're so wimpy, you aren't allowed in Heaven or Hell. We'll just have to leave you here, then, won't we?_

He was beginning to think it was some twist of a mouse-and-cheese experiment. You know, _How Long Does It Take for a Proclaimed Ex-Addict Bassist to Finally Under Pressure and Blow Off Everyone He Cared About for a Baggie of Heroin?_ _Set up a maze, and watch him go!_

…Or maybe he was on a stupid American reality show, a Fear Factor-Survivor-Dr. Phil spin-off. Some family in Wyoming would be watching him now. _Tsk, tsk. That's why you don't try drugs, kids. You don't want to end up like that pathetic Charlie character… _

When Jack found him there, he could've sworn Charlie was drunk. Only thing missing: the strong stench of alcohol and the bottle.

"You going to tell me what happened?" Jack asked, sitting down next to him without an invitation.

"I told Claire."

Charlie could feel the stupidity sinking in. He shouldn't have told her this way…

"Told her what?"

Of course Jack wouldn't know. He was an honest bloke who didn't lie to his girlfriend about stealing drugs on the _same_ trip when he was supposed to be rescuing her baby. He also didn't ignore the girl for a week before suddenly dumping more grief on her. Nope, Jack wouldn't know about his problems.

"I told her about the drugs."

"I thought you burned those…"

"I _did_. But then when Sayid and I went to find the Crazy French Woman and Aaron, there happened to be a large plane full of bloody heroin baggies!"

"So, you're addicted again?" Jack wasn't being judgmental at all. In fact, Jack was taking this much better than Claire had.

"No, haven't had any yet."

"Does Claire know that?"

"She wouldn't let me talk! She just… left." Charlie mentally kicked himself. He knew he should've explained the situation fully before showing her the stupid drugs. He knew if he hadn't taken the statue in the first place, none of this would've happened.

"You should tell her. Maybe she thinks you've been sneaking some behind her back." Jack looked curiously at Charlie. "How did you happen to fall across a plane full of heroin?"

Charlie sighed. He knew Jack would eventually want to know all of the details, being the doctor and leader he was. Plus Jack was looking like his best chance of avoiding addiction, other than Claire. But that didn't turn out very well, did it?

"Well, when we were looking for Aaron, Sayid and I ran a lot. We decided to take a quick brake next to Boone's plane. And there they were." Charlie tried not to explain that they had stopped because wimpy Charlie was tired. "Sayid said that it was a plane from Nigeria, from the maps they found. He also said that the pilots were drug runners disguised as priests."

There was a pause before Jack shook his head. "You have to get rid of them, Charlie."

He hated knowing the truth. "I know. I know. Just right now, I can't bring myself to it."

"Well, I would throw it away for you, but I think you should do it. You know, to end the whole thing once and for all."

And with one last knowing look, Jack left Charlie alone in the caves to drown in his own misery.

----------------

"Is something wrong? You seem… flustered."

Kate and Claire were sitting outside of a tent, Kate holding Aaron and cooing at him.

Claire shook her head. "I'm fine. I guess. I just had a row with Charlie."

"Oh." Kate looked back at Aaron, who was starting to drift off to sleep again.

She reached out to hand him back to Claire. "Hey, Kate, have you seen Sayid anywhere?"

"He's probably helping with the fires at this point."

"Okay, thanks." Claire stood up and wandered around the camp, searching for him. She finally saw Sayid helping someone pile up firewood.

"Hi." She greeted him, and he nodded in return. "Can we talk? I don't want to be interrupting you…"

"No, that's fine," He said, arranging the last of the twigs into place.

Claire paused before getting right to the point. "I was wondering if you could tell me about the day you found Aaron."

"You mean, about Danielle?"

"Well," Claire wasn't exactly sure how to put it, "did you find a plane? Boone's plane?"

Sayid nodded, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Claire didn't want to bring attention to the fact that she and Charlie were fighting. "Thank you, though."

Walking away, Claire thought about Charlie and how much he had helped her over the past month. She wouldn't have made it this whole time, if it wasn't for his care. Didn't he deserve some help as well? And the one time he asks for it, she runs away. It was so typical of her to hide like this. Maybe, this time she could be strong.

Maybe this time she could be strong like Charlie.

-----------------

**A/N:** Off to vacation tomorrow. I wanted to get another update in here before I left. Hope you all enjoyed the double update, because I'll be gone for 10 days. But don't worry, I will still be writing when I'm gone, just not posting.

I know I haven't left the first chapter up long enough for more reviews, but I got 51 hits for this ONE chapter! But of course, I want to thank those (very) few, yet wonderful, people who took the time to review!

**A Teenage Werewolf**- Thank you so much! I love reviews like this that give me good feedback!

**crookedview**- I agree! He wants to be good so badly, but he needs a little help from Claire to make the change. Thank you!

**charlieclaire4ever**- Love the pen name! Thank you, and here's the update that you ordered. But don't get too used to it. Now you'll have to wait a little over a week. But I think you'll manage. Lol.

Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review! ;-)

----**RedirEaS**----


	3. The Indestructible Roots

**Chapter Three- The Indestructible Roots**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing but the plot. Everything else belongs to JJ and his crew/cast. I don't own the lyrics either, rightfully belonging to the incredibly talented Coldplay band.**

**A/N: **I had a wonderful vacation and thank you all SO much! I hope you all weren't too bored out of your minds without an update… jkjk …Although I do apologize for being a few days behind. Being attached to a newly released Harry Potter book can do that to you.

And here you go…

"_Oh, no, what's this?_

_A spider web and it's me in the middle._

_So I turn to run,_

_Thought of all the stupid thing's I'd done."- -Trouble, Coldplay- - _

**The Indestructible Roots**

Charlie sat down the next morning, staring intently at a weed growing up from the earth. There was something about weeds that got Charlie thinking and he suddenly got a flashback of his old neighbor complaining incessantly to his father, "Ruining the entire yard, they is!" And she was right. There was something annoyingly indestructible about weeds that frustrated nearly everyone with a yard. No matter how hard you pull at them, the roots will always remain somewhere deep beneath the surface. They may look like they've disappeared, but in a few weeks, you'll have to pull it up again, and again, and again, repeating the endless process of weeding. Why bother anyway, if it's just going to come back?

This island was infested with weeds. Suddenly, he remembered a commercial he saw once while he was younger. He imagined someone comically trying to spray Herbicide all over this place and he highly doubted even the strongest vegetation-demolishers would work around here. Besides, the weeds had kind of become a part of the island. So much, in fact, that it was nearly impossible to tell them apart from the grass.

Living in an apartment and going on tour constantly made Charlie too busy to think about grass or weeds. A couple of months ago, if someone had asked him a question about weeds and their purpose, Charlie would've looked at them as though they were insane. Who had the time to think about weeds, anyway? Not a busy bass guitarist on his way to a comeback! But now that he was on the island, he was thinking about this kind of thing everyday. Hell, he had plenty of time! Why not just sit back, relax, and watch a weed.

_Blimey! _Charlie thought incredulously, _what's gotten into you, mate? You're comparing yourself to a weed! A WEED! A long stem of green fuzz pointing out of the ground- _

"Whoa… Dude… You look like you ate one too many burritos!"

Charlie turned his attention to the rather large man standing before him, "Oh. Hello, Hurley."

"What're staring at the grass for?"

_Oh just a little something to distract me from the increasingly-tempting baggie of heroin currently residing under my blanket. That's all. Unless you count the fact that I just ruined everything I had with Claire by telling her the truth. _

_And, I find certain similarities to this weed, and he is incredibly sensitive, so please do not insult him. _

"No reason." Charlie said, rising to his feet and wiping his dirty hands against his jeans.

Hurley, looking a little sympathetic towards Charlie, said, "Hey… Um, you wanna talk?"

For some unbeknownst reason to Hurley, Charlie's face was growing contorted with anger. "No! Why does this keep happening to me? I don't need therapy, okay!"

Hurley, at loss for words, watched confusedly as Charlie stormed off somewhere else to find another friendly plant to converse with.

But Charlie had had enough with weeds. _So, where should I go now?_ He couldn't go to Claire, seeing as she hadn't talked to him since last night. He couldn't go to the caves, or he'd be high before he could say "crumpet." He knew he couldn't go to Jack, fearing another long and pointless lecture. And he couldn't go to his guitar, his once peaceful and harmonic getaway, because that was in the caves as well. So, why not just lay here on this particularly soft spot of dirt?

Dirt: now that was VERY interesting thing to think about. The way it clung to you, smearing your cleanly washed hands. _Or_, Charlie noted to himself, looking at the knees of his jeans, _the impossible stains it leaves on clothing_. The dark color and the dampness and the sediments: all worth debating about. Yes, thinking about dirt is a wonderful way to spend an entire morning.

After watching the ground for an unbelievably boring five minutes, Charlie decided to lie back down and nap, hoping his dreams would be much more eventful than the past hour.

His eyes were closed for a few minutes before he heard a soft rustle of branches and footsteps approaching him. Once again annoyed about the interruption, Charlie sat up, "Stop following me, all right? I don't know what Jack told you, but I assure you, I'm _fine_!"

Charlie stopped quickly. There, standing before him, was Claire. Blushing slightly about his outburst, Charlie looked beyond her a little, into the trees.

"Sorry," She said apologetically. "Did I wake you?"

"No." He lied, "...I was just resting."

There was a pregnant pause as both of them interpreted the full embarrassment of the situation and remembering the details of last night. Then, they both started talking at once.

"What're you--"

"Please—"

Another uncomfortable silence was produced, causing Charlie to feel enormously stupid. He made a sort of nod-like gesture, signaling that she should speak first.

Charlie, who was expecting a full blow, was surprised as Claire kneeled down and reached for his hand. "Come with me."

Charlie's mouth opened at complete confusion. Claire didn't seem mad or happy, but her tone was stern with the tiniest hint of hope. "Please."

Without a reply from a very taken-aback Charlie, she stood up and began leading him through the trees. Charlie was so amazed at her that he didn't pay any attention to the fact that he was being whipped here and there by tree limbs that Claire had assumed he was holding back for himself. "What're you doing?" He asked as they were obviously not heading for camp.

Claire continued onward without looking back at him. "I thought you might deserve a break."

Charlie could not think of why he had deserved a break at all. In fact, he had just been laying there. How could you deserve a break from resting? "From what," he asked.

It was the first time Claire had turned to look at him since they started walking. Her gaze traveled along the lines of his face, observing the wrinkles and bags under his eyes from sleep-deprivation. "…Moping."

She dragged him off again, Charlie thoroughly bewildered now. "And where's Aaron?"

"He's fine. Sun offered to watch him."

New questions were continuously regurgitating themselves from his mouth, "Where are we going?"

Claire slowed to a stop and faced him. For the first time, Charlie detected some emotion etched beneath her tired face. Was it sorrow? Or pity? That look made Charlie feel even more stupid and guilty, nudging him to explain himself fully to Claire.

"Look, about last night, I can explain…"

"Charlie…"

"I shouldn't have dumped it on you like that. I shouldn't have made you promise, and I shouldn't have showed you like that…"

"Charlie…"

Charlie was pleading now. "Please forgive me, Claire. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have taken it from the plane -"

But he stopped, because Claire was so close to him now that he couldn't breathe.

Charlie Pace had kissed many girls before. Some of the girls had blonde hair, some had blue. Some were groupies, some he had met in bars. Sometimes the kiss would lead to something else, or other times he would puke in their hair. But never had Charlie felt this way with any of them before. The kiss, so pure and innocent, was quick. A soft brush of lips and then it was over. The length of time didn't matter to Charlie. Instead, he thought about Claire. Claire, who had been left in the dust pregnant by some punk, Claire, who he had expected to be nervous about trusting guys, had just kissed him. Claire had cared about Charlie so much that she threw the past to the wind and kissed him.

And he couldn't help grinning as they broke apart.

Serenely, Claire raised her finger tips to his mouth, a blushing smile gently dancing across her lip. "I'll help you."

------------------------------

"We're here!"

Charlie and Claire entered a large opening occupied by a gorgeous waterfall. Charlie smiled at the beauty of it (okay, he had been smiling ever since the kiss), but frowned nervously as Claire stripped down to one of her least-revealing pair of bra and underwear. She hadn't brought a swimsuit with her on the plane, seeing that she was pregnant at the time, and the last thing on her mind was swimming.

Claire was about to get in when she noticed that Charlie had been frozen on the spot for the past few minutes. "…Something wrong?"

Eyeing the large pool of water only a few mere inches from Claire's foot, he asked, "Uh… Claire… you don't expect me to… jump in the water, do you?"

She raised her brow curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I… err… can't swim too well."

Claire giggled, clearly thinking that Charlie was just messing around. "Don't be silly. Everyone swims."

Charlie shook his head, "Nope. I don't."

She stared, incredulously, "You're serious?"

"No joke."

"Oh, come on, Charlie, it's easy. Just move around and you'll float."

"It's really not that simple, love."

Claire, noticing his stubbornness, gave him a "well-if-you-say-so" look and dove in. The cool wetness against her skin was so refreshing. This was the most exposed she had allowed herself to become in public since the crash, guessing correctly that not too many people wanted to see an extremely pregnant woman walking about in a bikini.

Charlie watched Claire bob around in the water, finding a comfortable place in the shade to sit. He watched, feeling that now-familiar stomach swoosh as she smiled at the way the water tenderly tickled her neck. Not wanting Charlie to be bored out of his mind (obviously unaware that Charlie found watching Claire do anything MUCH more inviting than watching the dirt), Claire came over the spot where he was sitting, carefully supporting herself by holding onto the edge of clay and grass. "We can go, if you want."

"I'm fine here. Besides, you look like you're enjoying yourself."

"I am. Although, I would like it more if I at least had someone to talk to."

Charlie knew what she was trying to do. "You can always talk to me."

"Well, I mean, someone to keep me company _while _I'm in the water."

_Uh-oh_, a faint voice in his mind said, _Can't wriggle out of this one, Charlie-boy._

"But, I told you, I can't swim!"

Claire could tell she was winning, "Then I can teach you."

Defeated, Charlie grudgingly dipped into the water, realized that he could touch the bottom, and kept himself from showing any expression of surprise.

"Now, this parts deeper," she said, indicating where she was now swimming, "But I think you should start where it's shallower."

Charlie slipped on a rock, panicked, and splashed out of the water to grab the nearest root to him. Claire smiled unnoticeably at his cute clumsiness. "Yes, well, that can happen."

"If I can't keep myself up when I can stand, how am I supposed to swim?"

"Patience," Claire said, assuming the voice of her mother.

"And how's patience going to help me with anything?" He asked, playing along with her impersonation.

Claire continued. "Don't question your teacher. Now, just… move your legs."

"Oh," Charlie joked, "very professional."

Claire rolled her eyes, taking her own voice back again. "Come off it, Charlie. Just try."

So Charlie moved his legs, which made no difference except made him wobble a little.

Claire laughed and Charlie smiled back at her. She knew he was just doing all this to make her laugh. "Ready to try it in the deep end," she teased.

At first, Charlie didn't realize she was serious. As she backed away from the edge and effortlessly swam towards the center of the pool. "I don't think-" Charlie began, but Claire abruptly cut him off. "You _can _Charlie."

Wondering if Claire would be able to support his weight if he started drowning, Charlie slowly made his way off the elevated mud, pausing when he felt a definite drop of level with his foot. Claire didn't say anything. She was watching him intently.

'_You _can_ Charlie.' _Her words echoed throughout his head as he took a step deeper.

'_You _can _Charlie. You _can_.' _

And before he knew it, he was as far out as Claire was, floating not-so effortlessly as Claire had done. It was odd, swimming was. He didn't feel right in the water. Kind of like a bassist playing piano. He was trying, but something was out of place. Nearing the land, Claire and Charlie both shared a gaze and she grinned widely at him. "I told you."

_Swoosh._

-------------------------------

The roots of a weed may seem indestructible, but Charlie was re-thinking that theory. Why should he change his mind? Because when Charlie was with Claire at the waterfall, he hadn't thought about the drugs at all. Not once.

Maybe the bad roots could be removed if you knew how to replace them with better things.

--------------------------------

**A/N: Well, I know the whole swimming thing was really cliché and well… corny, but I felt like it helped... somewhat. Okay, maybe it didn't, but oh well, it's already there, right? I am planning on this being a fairly short fic, maybe 6-7 chapters max. Maybe a sequel, but that's not what I'm concentrating on right now. Chapter 5 is a doozy, and I am having a little trouble with it myself.**

**I am going to milk this fluff as much as I can! Meaning: a whole other chapter of fluff before the drama really starts. I know too much fluff can be painful. I hope I'm not warding off readers already! **

**:Thanks To:**

**-Jou64()- Here's your update, although it wasn't soon…**

**-goblin monkey- Thank you! I'm sorry the update didn't work out with your vacation, but you can always read it when you get back. ;-) I actually came home on the 17… at 1:00 in the morning, so there was no possibility that I could update then:-( **

**-pokefreaks13- I miss you! I can't wait for the little Lost Pow-Wow over the holidays! It's gonna rock! Special thanks to you, who will be hosting it Here's the update, although you wouldbecause you're the one buying the stuff! have already read it from email, but as always, I appreciate your criticism and reviews. Lylas. (I just realized Love-You-Like-A-Cousin would spell lylac in a funky way! Lol!) I owe all of my lost-obsession to you, of course!**

**-Charlie & his Claire- ooh! Nice change in pen name. I, of course, have thought about changing my pen name multiple times… but I am so attached to redireas. I have no idea why. It's my screen name backwards, but I have thought it would be a nice change to something lost related. So far, however, redireas is my "neutral-ground." I'm glad you are enjoying the chapters, and I hope this one makes sense! I also REALLY hope the swimming scene isn't too corny! I felt it was kind of crucial though, saying "you can Charlie" as the sort of foundation of her commitment to helping him. Well… enjoy and thanks!**

**-Lostaway ()- so, Bailey told you about my story? Yay! I love feeling some sort of connection to my reviewers, even if it's just we like the same bands or whatever. I have had a lot of trouble getting any of my friends hooked on Lost. You see, they either think it's "too scary" or I rant so much they think I'm insane. Okay, maybe I am a little insane, but let's get back on topic. My dad asked me about the basic premises of Lost and, of course, I start with the plane crash and all and the survivors. But after a while, I can't stop talking about it and I drive my parents crazy. Which is why, I am sure, they are happy that I can talk to other people who will actually pay attention to my rants (such as Bailey, who will rant right back). Yeah, I mean, I've only seen about 8 episodes (first seven and then the final part of exodus). I do my research and all, or at least I hope this stuff is correct… If not, Bailey usually will find it in her reading before I post and correct me. Thanks again!**

**-crookedview- thanks! I know, Charlie really needs Claire's help on this one, and as you can see, she has agreed to be his 'savior.' Although, for now, she doesn't really understand what she's getting into. Dun-dun-dunnn….**

**-EllaJ.W- Thank you for the compliments. I hope this past chapter wasn't a bore… fluff isn't exactly my specialty. I love to read it in small doses. But writing fluff… it's sometimes hard to pull off. :-P**

**-Artistgirl727- ooh, pen name! If you didn't know this about me (and I can't see how you would) I love art! I'm actually going to a school next year that will offer about 2 hours of art each day. I don't know if I can handle that much, but I am hoping I will. I don't want to be an artist for a career, but it's a fun hobby! I'm hoping I interpreted your pen name correctly, lol. Anyways, back to replying to your review… I'm glad you're enjoying this. Charlie can't just drop the figurine into the fire and be clean. Right now, there is a huge internal struggle about whether or not he is ready to take on life without drugs. He really wants to be with Claire and to please her. But he's going to have a lot of temptation from Mary as well. Otherwise, there would be no story! **

**Oh goodness. Like I said, once you get me started talking about Charlie's struggles, I can't stop! **

**Well… Hope everyone liked the update. I would love some reviews ;-) I mean, they might play a role in how quickly I update… Not really. I don't bribe readers. But don't you like to make the writer happy? **

**;-) **


	4. Not Like This

**Disclaimer: Don't own Lost. I don't own Coldplay either, just so that's all clear… **

**A/N:** Well, here it is- chapter four: Not Like This! There much to say, except that I made a PB one-shot (The Light of My Life). You should check it out. It's been in the making for a little over a week, and I am pretty happy about the way it came together! And now: without any further ado… Not Like This!

"_I drew a line,_

_I drew a line for you._

_Oh what a thing to do._

_And it was all Yellow." Yellow by Coldplay_

**Not Like This**

Charlie and Claire were lying on towels draped across the sand. It was dark now, the dazzling stars revealing themselves against the inky black sky. The once glassy blue ocean was now dark purple, only soft reflections of the moon separating one wave from the other. It was beautiful to sit here and listen to the waves and bright crackling fire.

"Fish 'N Fry. I know it's pathetic."

They had started playing Truth once Aaron fell asleep. Both of them had been a little nervous about asking something too personal. So instead, they were asking basic questions such as: "have any siblings?" or "what was your first job?" Although Charlie had a feeling he had to break the ice soon, seeing as they were running out of regular things to ask about.

Charlie shook his head, "It's not pathetic at all."

"Oh," Claire smiled, "so you're saying that being a famous rocker is more pathetic than working at a greasy seafood restaurant with less-than-decent pay?"

"Being a loser bassist in a too-big-ego band isn't exactly a box of chocolates. You see, _I _wasn't famous. At one point I wanted to be. At one point that was the most important thing. I got lost in the success, Claire. I was stupid."

"But you had talent." Claire said, slightly envying Charlie for his determination. "You knew what you wanted to do and you did it."

"I guess it was like that in the beginning. In the beginning, it was for the music. _Everything_ was for the music. I wrote, slept, ate, played and sang. You know what was pathetic? It was pathetic that I believed I could be famous and keep music as a top priority. I believed that I could avoid all of the cracks that the famous fall into; keep myself from getting off balance. I actually believed my brother when he said we could stop if things got a little crazy. The sodding git! I can't believe I actually listened to him!

"Fame isn't what you might think. It's about money. It's about greed. It's about booze and girls… You see, fame isn't about being dedicated. Nope, it's all a bloody sham. And I believed it, too."

Claire was quiet, taking in every once of soul that Charlie was laying out for her to hear. Then, out of pure curiosity, Claire spoke, "So that's when you…"

"…Started using? Yeah. My brother wasn't the best example."

There was a pause as each of them thought about Charlie's words.

"You're turn." Claire whispered.

"But I asked you about where you worked…"

"And I asked you about DriveSHAFT."

Beyond the fire, Claire's eyes were full of understanding -not pity. Charlie was thankful for that.

"Okay…" Charlie racked his brain and said the first thing that came to him, "Have you ever been drunk?"

Claire was so thrown off guard by this question, she nearly fell over. Surely he hadn't had this question burning in him since they met? At this moment, they were free to ask each other anything and get a truthful answer back… and Charlie asked if she had ever been drunk!

Smiling amusedly at her embarrassment, Charlie teased her. "It's just a yes or no question."

After a few moments of fiery debate with herself, Claire answered somewhat reluctantly. "Yes."

Charlie raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

She nodded half-heartedly, remembering the hangover the next day. "It was terrible…"

Her hair was glowing golden in the firelight and it took all the restraint Charlie could summon to keep himself from touching it. "You just seem so… pure."

Claire laughed, loosing all unease she had previously, "You mean, other than the fact that I am un-married with a child?"

Trying to keep all of the hope out of his voice, Charlie asked the question he had been dying to know the answer to. "Did you love him?"

----------------------

_/Flashback On/_

_Claire's legs were crossed beneath her on the edge of the window sill. It was raining outside and the gentle pitter-patter of water droplets outside was joined by her sobs. Claire plastered her forehead against the cool window pane, reliving the horrors of the morning and weeping harder, her cries were wet and thick with mucus._

_Her entire body was shaking with fear. Fear for the baby. Fear of going through with the pregnancy alone. Fear of taxes and money and support. She had never felt more alone in her life. _

_Her stomach growled but she didn't move to get some food. Instead she sat there, watching the white fog from her sobs grow across the glass. Taking her finger, she traced a heart into it, only to cause more cries._

_By the next morning, the rain had stopped and Sasha had come to pick Claire up for her usual morning car-pools to work. When Sasha knocked twelve times and there was no answer, she grew worried. Frantically, Sasha reached for the doorknob, alarmed to find it unlocked. Entering the front of the apartment, Sasha saw Claire in a sea of tissues by the window, still in yesterday's clothes and shaking hysterically. _

"_Oh, God. Claire, what happened?" _

"_He's… he's gone! Sasha, he's gone!"_

_/End Flashback/ _

------------------------

Claire shook her head and blinked, as though this would rid herself of the memory. Neither of them was even aware that Charlie had broken the rules by asking two questions at once. Instead, they were too busy looking at each other and thinking about the deep wound the question was reopening.

"_Did you love him?"_

"I used to think so."

Sitting up straighter to compose herself, Claire gazed at Charlie. He was so wonderful, so different from Thomas. She smiled at the thought of Charlie wobbling in the water earlier that day. Had they really only known each other for 6 weeks? Gathering her strength back, she asked, "What about you, Charlie Pace? Have you ever been in love?"

It took a few minutes for him to answer because he was too busy staring mystified at Claire.

"Not like this."

-----------------------

"Isn't it amazing?"

Kate took a break from collecting more firewood and stared between the trees. "What?" Jack asked, turning his attention to where Kate was looking.

"That, even now… they can find love?" Her voice was soft and dreamy. _Longing?_ Jack wondered to himself.

"…Yeah…" Jack gathered another piece of wood and forced himself to head back, leaving Charlie and Claire kissing by the fire behind him.

-----------------------

A particularly loud wave crashed somewhere beyond them, followed by the scream of a baby. Claire backed off from Charlie and ran her hands nervously through her hair before picking Aaron up. Despite the twos efforts, Aaron continued to wail, a blood vessel in his head pounding and his face grew red.

"It is late." Claire reasoned, looking up shore. "Maybe we should get going."

"Right…"

They gathered their belongings and collected a torch from the fire to lead them back to the caves. Aaron cried the entire way.

Claire rocked him, attempting to sooth him so the other survivors wouldn't get upset. "Here," Charlie said, placing the towels down on the ground outside the caves. "I'll be right back."

Claire sat down and watched Charlie jolt out of the caves to God-knows-where, Aaron continuing his loud declaration against quietness. Moments later, Charlie returned with his guitar. "I thought it might help with Turniphead."

Claire was so tired all she could do was smile.

Charlie positioned himself so he could play, and then began the first song that popped into his head. Within the first cord, Aaron had stopped at the calming sound of the guitar.

"_Look at the stars, _

_Look how they shine for you,_

_And everything you do. _

_Yeah, they were all Yellow. _

"_I came along,_

_I wrote a song for you,_

_And all the things you do,_

_And it was called "Yellow."_

"_So then I took my turn,_

_Oh what a thing to have done._

_And it was all Yellow._

"_Your skin,_

_Oh yeah your skin and bones,_

_Turn into something beautiful._

_And you know, _

_You know I love you so. _

_You know I love you so._

"_I swam across,_

_I jumped across for you,_

_Oh what a thing to do._

_Cause you were all Yellow._

"_I drew a line,_

_I drew a line for you,_

_Oh what a thing to do._

_And it was all Yellow._

"_Your skin,_

_Oh yeah your skin and bones,_

_Turn into something beautiful._

_And you know,_

_For you I'd bleed myself dry._

_For you I'd bleed myself dry._

"_It's true,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine._

"_Look at the stars,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_And all the things you do." _

Once Charlie had looked up, both Aaron and Claire were sound asleep. He smiled gently, lifting up the blanket to keep them warm. Charlie couldn't imagine anyone looking so beautiful while they slept. Claire's hair gracefully placed beside her, her lidded eyes, peaceful… And her soft sunburned cheeks… She was so stunning, in fact, that Charlie had to kiss her one last time. "Goodnight, love."

"I haven't seen you play your guitar in a while."

Back at his camp, Jack was still awake and had heard Charlie come in.

"Just singing A-a-a-ron to sleep," Charlie yawned, thinking sleep sounded like an excellent idea. "You know, I was thinking… I should've thrown the statue away by now."

Jack was obviously impressed. "You're going to throw it away tonight?"

"I will in the morning. Hey, Jack?"

"…Hm?"

"I can't very well play Dad when I'm stoned can I?"

"No. You should get rid of them soon, Charlie. Aaron needs his Dad."

Charlie grinned. "Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight Charlie."

And then Charlie rolled over into sleep, waking the next morning to the greeting face of Mary. Only this time, he didn't feel tempted in the least. This would be the day, he knew it. This would be the day that Charlie would finally give up drugs.

And with that happy thought, Charlie grabbed the statue and headed off to drop the drugs in the nearest fire, where they belonged.

--------------------------

**A/N: Yay for Charlie:-D I'm sorry about the whole song lyrics thingy. I don't usually like lyrics in a story but I LOVE this song and I thought it fit in pretty well. Sorry if I bored you to death. :-P**

**Thanks for reviewing: **

**-Jaye Black- I love your story (s) too! Thank you for reviewing!**

**-Charlie and his Claire- Lol. Cutting the grass isn't fun, and I agree, I would much rather be online reading, writing or reviewing! ;-) I hope this chapter wasn't too corny in general. Personally, I didn't like it very much. Sigh But once again, thank you for reviewing!**

**-Jou65- I'm glad you're enjoying everything so far! Here's your update!**

**-Artistgirl727- Oh, wow. Herron! You're near me then, I live in Kentucky. I used to live in Evanston, Illinois (north of Chicago). I have been to the Chicago Art Museum, but the last time I went, I was eight and didn't appreciate it very much. I would love to go again sometime soon, though! I don't have a favorite art period or anything. I guess being a rising ninth grader; I don't like studying art history very much. I know it's important and all, I just can't get myself into it. Hopefully, going to this magnet school will inspire me and I will find my love for history. Lol. I really like O'Keeffe's flowers! Mainly, I just go to art fairs around town and stuff. It's actually a lot of fun, you know, modern stuff. The other day I drew a picture of Dominic Monaghan. Once I got his eyes/eyebrows down pat, it was beautiful. Lol. He has so much expression, I really enjoyed drawing him. Thanks for reviewing again!**

**A/N: Well… review. I know I have people at least making it to the third chapter because I have quite a few hits. **

**Hope you enjoyed! Keep a look out for another update, because I'm trying to finish this before August 3rd (so NOT going to happen, but hey, I can try!). August 3rd I am leaving for Colorado and I won't be back until late the 13th (day before my birthday!). I would rather finish this before I leave, but it might just be wishful thinking on my part. :-P**

**Review! **


	5. Numb and Helpless

**Disclaimer: Nope. Nada. If I owned LOST I would be way more involved in the plot of Season Two than a silly romance/drama fic. **

**A/N: **Everything is going really well. As of now, I really like this chapter and hope you all enjoy it. Here is the drama I promised. . . J

**WARNING- This chapter is rated T for drug references. **

_"I've become so numb  
I can't feel you there  
Become so tired  
So much more aware  
I'm becoming this  
All I want to do  
is be more like me  
and be less like you."----Numb, Linkin Park _

**Numb and Helpless **

The moment Claire woke up to Aaron's hungry cries, visions of the previous night flooded through her brain. Could it have really happened? Had Charlie just proclaimed his love to her?

When Claire was an adolescent, she had secret dreams of being whisked off to Happily Ever After. She would watch romantic movies, read romantic novels, dream of anonymous love letters arriving in her mailbox. Although the faze didn't last long -her dreams crushed by sleepless nights and tax papers without the slightest hint of romance- there was always some child in the back of her mind hoping. Claire supposed she was being naïve, believing in things that didn't exist. There was no such thing as a knight in shining armor. There was no such thing as Prince Charming. There was no such thing as fairy tales.

By the time Claire had met Thomas, she had long forgotten her teenage wishes of love and peaceful lives. Instead, Claire was in the real world, struggling to find a job and find the money to rent out a decent apartment. In the real world, there was no such thing as horse drawn carriages or magical glass slippers. No, the real world, romance was dating, fighting, breaking up, cheating and lying. And when she met Thomas, she didn't think she would have time for that. Too much drama, she assured herself.

But Thomas had taken her by surprise, causing her fairy tale dreams to re-kindle, resurfacing without a trace of regret. He was artistic, loving and believed Claire was more than a woman under various levels of un-employment. So she took a chance.

After a while, Claire noticed that a relationship wasn't all about love. There were other factors too: communication, patience, and understanding. Finance played a role too. In fact, Thomas and Claire were seriously considering moving in together, once both had a steady job.

And then there was the utter, undeniable truth that Claire was pregnant. Being unstable and worried, Claire believed all of Thomas' efforts to sooth her when he said they could make it with a baby. But soon, she would realize that Thomas was creating a grand entrée of false statements, and Claire was eating up every crumb.

When Thomas left, Claire was positive that her dreams as a child were permanently shattered. That all hope had vanished. That there was not a single man in the world that cared about anyone other than himself. Every time Claire saw a man she liked, she would tell herself that; best to avoid future pains, anyway.

It was now Claire's turn to build up a false sense of security, a wall that would keep her from falling. A wall to protect herself from what she feared most: abandonment.

And then there was Charlie.

Charlie had bravely broken down every wall she had built up -in a good way. He taught her to trust again. To believe. To dream and to hope. To…_love_?

Charlie was everything she had wanted Thomas to be: supporting, caring and a good father for Aaron. Claire hadn't asked for much out of life, and she didn't expect to live like a diva, but this feeling that she had right now… it was more than she could have felt for Thomas in a year.

Claire pulled her shirt back down, as Aaron had finished feeding. Looking at Aaron, she remembered how Charlie sang them to sleep last night, which caused a chain-reaction of yesterday's events to play like a video throughout her head. Claire imagined his kind, puppy-like eyes… his messy hair… his beard that tickled her when they kissed…

She longed to see him. They had only been apart for a night, and yet she _longed _to see him? In fact, she didn't want to just see him. She wanted to sit next to him, to talk to him, to just _be _with him.

_This must be what love feels like_, Claire thought to herself, stroking Aaron's head.

---------------------------------

"Sawyer, I think you should get Claire."

"What?"

"I said _get Claire_."

"What am I, Doc? Your messenger boy?"

"Look… everyone knows you're a jackass, and now isn't the time to prove it. Claire would want to know what's going on, so get her."

Sawyer put his hands up defensively, "Down boy. I was just sayin'…"

"Go!"

-------------------------------

Claire hummed as she changed Aaron's nappies. She hummed! God knew the last time she hummed…

She was actually so involved in humming "You Are My Sunshine" to notice Sawyer casually walk into the caves.

"So, how's The Midget this morning?"

"_Aaron_ is doing very well, thank you." Somewhat startled, Claire put emphasis on the word "Aaron."

_So this is what I get for making conversation?_ Sawyer thought hollowly to himself. "So… Jack's up at his cave." Jeez, this was going to be harder than he thought.

"And…?" Claire was in a very happy mind right now, and Sawyer popping in to just randomly converse about Jack wasn't exactly what she wanted to be doing.

"Well… VH1 don't look too pretty when he's fixed."

Momentarily confused, Claire had to ask Sawyer to repeat what he said.

"Look. Jack told me to come find you. Your hubby . . . he's not doing so well…"

Panicked, Claire shoved Aaron into Sawyer's arms and took off at a full sprint to Jack's caves, taking no time to realize the odd stares of people around her. Her pulse hammered throughout her body, pounding loudly in her ears as she tried to calm herself. Outside the cave, Claire tried her best to set up herself for whatever lay beyond.

However, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw crumpled on the floor of the caves. The skeleton of a person bore little resemblance to Charlie at all. Charlie's once adorable untidy hair was now plastered to his head with sweat, his brilliant eyes covered by the unhealthy lull of his eyelids. His face was gaunt and thin, his lips trembling slightly as he struggled for air. The stench of ripe vomit trailed around him, parts of his jeans and hoodie were splattered with the fluids. Claire felt her throat tighten and tears falling along her cheeks as she watched the man she loved twitch in pain.

"He's had a few hallucinations." For the first time, Claire noticed Jack sitting next to Charlie, holding a bucket under Charlie's chin and placing a wet rag on Charlie's head. "I can't give him anything, because he's been throwing up so frequently. Sawyer found him like this earlier this morning."

Claire couldn't bear to watch what was happening. She had already guessed what he had done, but she was still bewildered at the cause of his actions. What could possibly have made him want to be in this much pain? She shuddered at the thought of Charlie harming himself, wondering how someone could be alive but look so dead…

"Will he… will he be alright?" Claire could only manage to choke the words, afraid of the answer.

"I think so. He overdosed," And even though Claire had guessed right, it didn't stop her eyes from widening in the horror of it all. Seeing Claire's expression, Jack added, "not enough to kill him, just enough to give us a good scare."

Claire couldn't believe what was happening. It was all so real, so awfully real. Just yesterday Charlie had been so happy, and now he was… he was…

Claire bent down to touch Charlie's shoulder in almost a dreamlike manner. She carefully traced her hands along his tattoo, crying even harder now. _Living is easy with eyes closed_. Why? Why now, Charlie?

"Claire… I thought you'd want to know. You don't have to be here if it's too hard for you. I've got things under control."

But she shook her head. She had promised. She had promised that she wouldn't judge him, that she would help him when he needed her. "No. I should stay."

Jack nodded, relaxing a little knowing that Charlie's state hadn't jeopardized their relationship too much. He stood up, rinsing off the wash cloth again, and allowed Claire to take his seat next to Charlie.

So Claire sat there, holding a bucket under Charlie's chin waiting for something to happen. Waiting for him to wake and explain that he loved her, that it was all some misunderstanding. And Claire cried. She cried for Charlie, feeling positively helpless. She cried for the pain he was in, for the hope that fairy tales could come true. And then she cried for herself, too.

Every once in a while Charlie would have a frightening episode during which he would have trouble breathing or see something that wasn't really there. During these times Claire would just cry harder, wanting to help him, to save him from whatever was going on. The first time Charlie had a hallucination Claire was shaking so hard she forced herself to leave the caves, Jack kindly taking over. She was afraid, imagining the scary world where he was full of spinning lights and monsters. Imagining such awful places made Claire feel even more helpless, unable to reach him, unable to wake Charlie from the nightmares taking place in his head.

When Claire stepped outside during the first hallucination, most everyone had left to complete their usual tasks: hunting, fishing or whatever. The light was bright and made her squint to see, trying her best to brush away the tears still occupying her face. Seeing a person in the near distance, she felt guilt weigh down in her stomach. There was Sawyer, standing patiently with Aaron in his arms, looking as though he had no idea what he was supposed to do with the child.

Claire felt hot with embarrassment as she walked over to him to retrieve her baby. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to, you know, run off like that… It's just…" Claire had no idea how she was supposed to describe her feeling of utter terror and fright to Sawyer.

There was an awkward silence as they both sat there, taking in the situation. "Have you… told anyone?" Claire was nervous for Charlie, what it might be like for him when he woke up.

"Nope. Doc says we don't need more drama on this damn island."

Claire was grateful, for once, of Sawyer. He had watched her baby for her while she ran off, frantically leaving him behind. And he had kept the secret. . .

Seeing Claire's face, Sawyer spoke again. "It hurts to see someone you love broke up like that, don't it?"

But Sawyer didn't need an answer to know how she was feeling. No, he knew that feeling all too well.

"Thank you, Sawyer." Claire said quietly, indicating Aaron. "I should . . . go back now."

And Sawyer watched her walk back into the caves, where she would wait for a sign of recognition from Charlie. Where she would wait to make sure he was okay.

---------------------------------------

The scene continued on late into the night. Although Claire was slowly getting used to the odd behaviors from Charlie, it didn't make the reality any easier for Claire to digest. She found herself foolishly hanging on to every movement he made, hoping he was coming back to consciousness -which only made the hallucinations worse for her to handle. Throughout the sobbing and the crying, Claire still hung onto Charlie's arm, wanting him to know, now more than ever, that she still loved him.

Sometime way after dark Charlie had a horrendous coughing attack, where he was gasping for breath and tearing up violently. Claire was so frightened by his inability to breathe and so overwhelmed with her powerless that she had to back away, watching the hideous scene unfold from afar. She was crying hard, lost in the darkness and the sounds of Charlie wheezing. She knew Jack was somewhere near him, repeating instructions for Charlie to calm down, but she couldn't understand his words. She was too busy crying and fearing for her Charlie to hear.

After what seemed like hours of fits, Charlie had finally found oxygen and leaned back against the cave wall, breathing heavily. Claire crawled back over to him and lay down next to him, placing her ear on his chest so she could hear the beating of his heart. Jack was forcing water into Charlie's mouth, placing a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

Claire looked up at Aaron's crib (which Sawyer had politely fetched for her) thankful that he was still sound asleep. She felt the dampness of her tears on Charlie's shirt against her cheek, and she softly held his hand in hers. Jack knew better than to tell her to give him some space, for it would be a waste of breath.

Charlie gave a small choke as he forced out breath, trying to speak. Charlie grabbed Jack's arm, trying to get his attention. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and feeble, but Claire heard his words clearly. "Don't-let… Don't let her see me like-this, Jack."

Claire was crying so hard that she knew she wouldn't be able to speak. Instead, she curled into a ball, her face pressed against Charlie's arm. Then she whispered inaudibly "I love you, Charlie," into his skin.

-----------------------------------

**A/N: So. . . what'd you think? I really liked it, actually. Maybe the whole "don't let her see me like this, Jack" thing was a little overly-dramatic, but I still liked it a lot. I am leaving for another vacation really soon, so don't expect the update for two weeks. I'm sorry about the inconsistent chapters, but I didn't realize how busy my summer was until recently. . . **

**I really, really hope you all enjoyed! I also apologize if any of the overdosing symptoms were incorrect. I've never been high and don't plan to be, so hopefully this was all believable enough. **

**Wow! For chapter four I got a whopping. . . Drum roll please . . . 3 reviews! Lol. I don't mind the lack of reviews too much, I mean, it's not going to keep me from writing. But I really, really appreciate those who take the time to review so here are my thanks to those who did: **

-Laura ():Thank you sooo much! I hope you still think it's sweet. ;-)

-jou65 (): Do you live in France? That would bereally cool! I went to France once... and visited the Louvre! It was gorgeous! I hope I can go again someday! Thank you for the reviews!

-artistgirl727:Hey! Thank you once again for the review! As far as Art History goes, it really depends on your teacher. For about 3/4 of the past year, my class had this great energetic teacher and we learned a lot from him. Then, at the very end of the year, his "apprentice" took over. You could tell that he hadn't had very much experience with middle school kids because he voice was monotone and he just mumbled a lot, which didn't draw any of the kids in at all. We covered cave drawings to Impressionism. I really liked impressionism because they finally started using brushstrokes:-P I love all sorts of drawings, really. I enjoy abstracted ones and ones with lots of meaning or expression. Contrast is also a principle I love, such as shaded verse light areas. I wish I could draw landscapes! I think Goldsworthy's work is SO cool because I love nature so much. As of now, I'm best at still life drawings, portraits, and drawing animals (mainly horses heads...:-D). Thank you lots, and hope you enjoyed the update (even if it's depressing)!

Well, you know what to do... review ;-) I hope nobody saw this twist coming:-P


	6. Old Habits Die Hard

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. Sorry to burst your bubble. The plot: mine. Everything else: ABC's.**

**A/N: **OMG! I haven't updated in nearly three weeks, and for that I am _truly _sorry. Once I got back from vacation (and I mean literally two days after) I started high school. The pressure of being a freshman and the mounting pile of homework is enough to keep me from updating for a while.

I'm really excited about this chapter. Hope you all enjoy.

"_If I go crazy then will you still  
Call me Superman?  
If I'm alive and well, will you be  
There holding my hand?  
I'll keep you by my side with  
My superhuman might  
Kryptonite." Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down_

**Old Habits Die Hard**

The hard look in Charlie's eyes reminded Jack all too well of the night Charlie was rescued without Claire. His jaw firm, the intensity knitted in his brow. Jack hesitated only briefly before approaching him with a fresh cup of water.

"Here. Sorry it took so long; Hurley's seemed to have—"

"She came, didn't she?"

The voice wasn't cruel or harsh, simply asking the answer to a question he knew to be true. Jack paused, figuring that there was no point in lying, Claire had been here. She wouldn't have left if it weren't for Jack's orders. In fact, if he had kept his mouth shut, Claire might be here, reassuring Charlie of everything that Jack couldn't say. "Yes."

There was a sharp intake of breath, barely noticeable. So she had come. She had seen Charlie all sick and screwed up. And she had left. He hadn't meant for this to happen, any of it. Not the plane, not the drugs, not Claire. Maybe he would've been better off dead like that Scott guy, six feet under certainly seemed to be better than this…

"She was here yesterday," _all day, all night_. "She didn't want to leave." What the hell was Jack supposed to say? That expression, that look on Charlie's face. It only proved that Charlie wasn't paying the slightest attention to Jack. He had to except this was beyond his repair. Period.

"Listen, Charlie… she cares about you, okay? Claire was worried. I couldn't tell her to leave."

"I'm gonna head out, alright? Hey, mate. Thanks for everything." And Charlie stood up, not listening or caring about the words spilling from his tongue. He had to leave, couldn't bear to stay in this dump any longer. His mind was set, and there was no changing it.

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Claire rolled herself up in a blanket, staring hard at the wall next to her. Her face was tear-stained, as it seemed it would be permanently from now on. She couldn't stop thinking about Charlie and the horrible guilt dripping in her veins could certainly not be considered "rest". Against her own will, Jack had forced Claire into the caves to relax, to sleep and what not. How was she supposed to sleep? How could he possibly expect her to calm down after this? After worrying? After living? After dying?

She just wanted to see Charlie. She wanted to tell him it was okay.

The image of Charlie mangled against the floor crept into her mind, as it had countless times merely minutes before. No matter what she tried to tell herself, there was no denying it. It had happened. It wasn't a dream or a nightmare. You weren't supposed to feel in your dreams, yet she was in pain. And she wanted to feel. She wanted to feel for Charlie, to share his hurt and his misery.

Claire couldn't escape the thoughts now buzzing within her; awful ideas that this was all somehow her fault. The trace of everything, no matter what Jack said, lead back to her in one way or another. She hadn't been helpful. In some way she hadn't been enough.

In a faraway land, Claire heard small baby whimpers and the soft hush of Kate. Rolling onto her side, Claire focused on a new part of the wall, counting the cracks and bumps along the cool stone. She didn't think she could cry anymore. Her body heaved with exhaustion, but she strained herself to stay awake. She would see him when he came.

And as she promised herself this, Claire yawned and sank into her pillow, captured by sleep.

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Charlie was newly bathed and scrubbed clean, although this had no cleansing effect on his conscious. Instead of returning to camp after washing, he headed off into the forest, ignoring the pains of hunger rumbling in his stomach. He didn't pay attention to where he was headed; rather he let his feet lead him. Whether or not his feet knew the way --he didn't know-- he trusted them all the same.

Charlie was so preoccupied in his mind that he didn't realize the heel of his left shoe was caked in boar droppings- an event at which he would have cussed fluently at just days before. He didn't notice the way the sunlight traced the chosen leaves above him so beautifully- which used to remind him of a song. And he didn't notice that hundreds of feet away, Jack was beginning to worry about his whereabouts. But currently, none of this mattered to Charlie. He just wanted to leave.

After minutes of stammering, his feet finally found a pace, directing him to an unknown destination like a compass. The entire forest was still, listening to the quiet brushing of leaves in his path, or the soul of his shoe thudding against the earth.

The more Charlie tried to disregard his thoughts, the more they pursued at filling his brain. The memory of their last day together caused his heart to ache, the fire, the beach, her hair… But the brief happiness at the memory was shattered by pounding of his pulse. By the pounding in his wrist, his rib cage, his brain. Sudden guilt over took him, making him weaker and more fearful.

He had to sit down. He couldn't keep going. Charlie stopped in his tracks and buried his head in his hands as he fell to the forest floor. What had he done? How could he hurt Claire, the one and only precious thing left in his life, for something as stupid as _temptation_? He was supposed to be strong. He was supposed to be the leader for Claire, the person who defied his past and proved himself. Claire was supposed to be his savior. If she couldn't save him, he didn't know what he could do. He couldn't stop on his own. He had been happy. _Happy_. In fact, he had been one of the only _happy_ people on this bloody island! God, he was a mess… a scum… a filthy junkie… a who couldn't keep a promise…

Out of nowhere, Charlie felt himself lifting from the ground. He was suddenly standing on his feet, staring at the stupid taped letters written across his fingers. LATE.

And for some sick reason, he knew all of this had a purpose. The drugs, the overdosing, the whole damn island… he sure as hell didn't know The Reason, but it was there alright. Just the thought brought a sickening taste to his mouth.

And then he steadied himself against a tree and vomited.

-------------------------------

Claire woke feeling absolutely terrible. She had only slept for a mere thirty minutes, but she hated herself for doing so. She knew he was awake, she just knew it. How could she have let him down? Furious at herself, she managed to get up and stumble across to find Charlie.

But he wasn't in the caves. Neither was Jack. All that she found was Charlie's hoodie and a pair of wet socks up to dry.

"Char-lie?" It was more of a cry than a question. She didn't think she had any water left inside her, but she had begun to collect tears again. The pit of her stomach hollowed in an ugly way and she whispered softly again, "Charlie?"

Nervously fiddling with the zipper of her jacket, Claire used the little energy she could muster to walk out of the cave, to find someone -anyone – who knew where Charlie had gone.

Shannon was sitting on a towel, looking pale faced and holding Boone's ID picture in her hand. She had taken to carrying it around with her, and before Claire had felt sorry for her, but now she had no time, or thought, to sympathize.

"Are… you okay?" Shannon asked, sounding generally sincere.

Claire took a deep breath, steadying herself enough to speak. "Have you seen Ch-Charlie?"

Shannon looked concerned but admitted she hadn't seen him. "Jack was looking for him, though. Hey. Do you need to sit down or something…? You look exhausted."

But Claire didn't have the energy to say much more. She just looked away, turning to find Jack. Why did Jack tell her to sleep? She didn't need it! She was perfectly fine without it! All she needed now was Charlie…

She started moving in her gut-sense direction, barely noticing that she was barefoot and not particularly caring. After searching the basic premise of camp without finding a hint of Jack or Charlie, Claire began to worry. What if Jack had taken off without telling anyone? Without _telling _her? The forest was dangerous! She couldn't let them be on their own!

And without thinking, Claire burst into a fit of hysterical tears. Melting into a puddle on the ground, she began sobbing and openly wailing. She didn't even stop when she felt strong arms around her, she didn't have the control. She didn't care anymore! Nothing else mattered but finding him.

"Shh. Calm down."

It was a thick Iraqi accent and Claire noticed the dark tan skin on the arms around her. She didn't calm down, though. How could she?

"Claire. I need you to calm down. What's wrong?"

The world was in a blur of tears and the ground was swirling to dark mud, blending with the green watercolor of trees behind it. "Where's Charlie?"

Sayid seemed to let up on his grasp a little. Her own sobs thinning, she thought she heard him sigh.

"Charlie was sick in the caves and Jack was there helping him."

For a moment, Claire felt the shock of the simplicity of it. To everyone else, Charlie was just sick with a bug and Jack was playing doctor. They didn't understand. A part of her wanted to laugh at the irony of it all.

And then everything was serious. Charlie was gone. He was somewhere out in the forest alone. Who knew what he could do to himself after overdosing?

Claire tried her best to wriggle out of Sayid's hold, but he was strong. A sudden fierce monster within her wanted to hit him for delaying everything. "Let. Me. Go."

"Claire," Sayid said in what he thought was a reassuring voice, "you sound wrong in the head. You must be feverish--"

But she wouldn't sit around and listen to this nonsense when she should be out there. With all of the force she had, Claire stomped down on Sayid's foot, the one previously injured. Sayid gasped in pain, letting go of her and reaching to nurse his foot. Meanwhile, Claire had already taken off to nowhere.

"You can't go out there alone!" Sayid shouted after her.

_Just watch me. _

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Charlie was walking again, following an invisible path to an invisible collective place. With every step he got further away from the camp, the deeper he wished it hadn't happened. That he hadn't let the habit re-kindle.

Hatred was filling inside him, but the hate was for his own actions. He was ashamed, guilty. He now understood the saying "wanting to crawl under a rock and die" although he had never felt that way so strongly before.

He was weak. He was sick. He was tired.

He couldn't handle the pain, oh the ever-mounting pain. He couldn't handle living with what he did. He couldn't handle the fact that it would never be the same.

And he couldn't handle the fact that he did it for a reason.

He knew the drugs had a meaning, but he wouldn't admit it to himself. He would be shallow to do so. As if he hadn't stooped low enough already…

Left. Right. Left. Right.

It had never taken this much effort to walk before. But now he didn't know what to look forward to in walking. He didn't know where he was going, and the only comfort in that was being away from camp.

What's the point of walking backwards? Sliding down a hill you've climbed before?

Left. Right. Left. Right.

His breathing was heavy. He could feel the hatred condensate on his breath.

It was so much effort to breathe.

Left. Right. Left. Right.

And then he stopped. He was there. He felt it in his bones, in his feet, in his head. Regaining his senses, he saw something between the trees, heard the sound of rushing water up ahead.

He was at the waterfall.

------------------------------------

Claire had been walking for what seemed like hours. Her eyes had dried, her breathing returning to normal, her feet walking at a steady pace. Not once had she stopped to consider re-tracing her steps back to camp. It was the farthest thing from her mind.

She had become thirsty, wondering where she could find water when she had no idea where she was going. Yet, something kept her moving. Maybe it was the belief that Charlie was her metaphoric water. Or maybe basic needs weren't important anymore.

Like a gift from heaven, Claire perked up at the sound of water ahead. For a moment, she thought she should keep going. But something inside her told her this was right. There was something here she needed to see.

If Claire had the strength, she would've run. But, she was so tired and dehydrated she took her time walking between the trees, best not to get her hopes up.

Her throat practically sang at the sight of water. Never mind it was from a waterfall, it was somewhat clear and liquid. Immediately, she bent down to take a drink. She was quiet, enjoying the water peacefully, loving the soothing drip down her throat. But then something hit her, something that made her stomach fall from her abdomen. It was the waterfall. _Their _waterfall.

She took a step back. She couldn't look at it. It was silly to sit and remember. She needed to get going. She started to back out of the trees when she heard a rustling nearby.

----------------------------------

Charlie appeared from across the way, he was looking intently at the water. A part of Claire wanted to scream, run over and kiss him, but she stood silently where she was. She watched, as if watching a movie role right before her eyes. He was completely unaware of her presence.

Charlie walked to the rocks and sat down. He was silent. Eyes so full of emotion, she couldn't take her own from his. She watched as after minutes, he curled up his legs, his arms locking his legs, his chin balanced on his knees. He didn't cry. He didn't speak. He didn't make any noise at all. He just sat there, his expression stony at the water.

His eyes were so intense; she could feel his emotion by looking into them. Anger. Embarrassment. Everything was shown without words.

Charlie gazed deeply into the depths of the water. It was hard to believe that just two days ago they had frolicked and flirted here. Charlie wondered for a minute if Claire had since thought about that day, and figured she'd be too mad to remember it. It made him feel downright ashamed. He couldn't please her. He couldn't protect her. He couldn't even keep his damn promise.

How the was he supposed to face her? Maybe he shouldn't. You know, make a living right here by the waterfall. He had been working for over a month on this kind of thing. He guessed he'd be able to survive out here… except he would need supplies, which were back at camp. Well, he couldn't avoid it forever.

But, he could for now. Wallowing alone in his sorrow seemed to suit him. It worked well, made him think and determine feelings. Being alone helped with a lot of things. Except Charlie didn't see how this situation could ever get better.

Claire moved around the trees a little, seeing Charlie from different angles. It was amazing just how much she could learn by sitting there and observing him. The way he was curled up was an unconscious defensive choice. She watched him breathe deeply, his mannerisms reflecting how awful he felt. It seemed like this was some self-punishment thing, ostracizing him from the group because he felt unworthy. She hoped whatever he was doing would make him feel better. She couldn't stand to see him like that.

So, then, why didn't she just run in there and tell him everything was okay? She couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe it was coward ness. Maybe she felt like the time wasn't right.

Charlie felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, although something told him he shouldn't be alarmed. He remained calm, focusing on his thoughts and not whatever was watching him. Yet he had a hunch, but he almost wanted to be wrong. He couldn't face her. Not yet.

After long minutes of silence, Claire had noticed a small change in Charlie. She noticed the way his eyes shot towards the woods every once in a while, and the way he became slightly stiffer. He must know that she was there. She wondered if he was glad that she had come. She would know.

More silence. Then, there was a low grumbling sound of Charlie clearing his throat. Claire paused a minute. It was okay. He was telling her that he knew she was there.

Quietly, Claire stepped out from behind the trees. She felt embarrassed, like a child caught spying on her parents while they were talking about her. When he didn't look up at her, she knew she had been correct. He had known she was there after all.

Claire was still incredibly anxious, even though she had finally found him. But, being here and standing in front of him, it was all so surreal, so much more difficult than she had imagined. She was afraid that he wouldn't talk to her. She was ashamed of watching him. And she didn't know what to say, so she stood there, continuing to watch him expectedly.

"You shouldn't be here."

It wasn't an invitation to sit down, so Claire remained standing. She had a terrible feeling within the pit of her stomach like she had intruded on something very, very private. She didn't know how to respond, so she stood there, silent like a student reprimanded in class. It was so miserable, standing there. She was so uncomfortable knowing that he was upset. Uncomfortable knowing that the one who calmed her was now the one needing to be calmed. She didn't think she could help him.

Charlie continued starring at the water. The silence was so eerie; Claire imagined what Charlie could possibly be thinking that would make him so quiet. Had he blamed her? It had been her fault, right?

Then there was a quiet, feeble and unexpected response that tripped from Claire's mouth, "I'm … I'm sorry…"

For the first time, Claire saw Charlie take his eyes off the water and moved his gaze to the ground next to him, where he looked deep in thought. "I don't deserve this, Claire."

Claire felt her own throat tighten –and it had nothing to do with being thirsty. "What do you mean?"

"I used up my second chance already."

As Charlie shifted his weight to the opposite arm, Claire saw the inky tattoo peek out from his shirt sleeve. Claire suddenly felt red with embarrassment, remembering how just the night before she had cuddled with him. Not only that, but he was unconscious and unaware of it the entire time. God, she was sick.

Claire gathered her composure and finally took a seat next to him, and looked him in the eye. "I believe in third chances too."

Apparently, Charlie hadn't been expecting that response. He looked up, half-shocked, half-intensely directly back at her. "We can't do this Claire."

Claire raised a brow. What exactly were they doing? "Do what?"

Charlie looked exasperatedly back at the rocks, incredulous at why Claire hadn't just left already. Wasn't she disgusted with him? "You shouldn't trust me. I can even trust myself, for Christ's sake."

Claire's stomach flopped. "You think I hate you now?"

"Well… I didn't keep my promise; put myself _and_ you _and _Aaron in danger. Why wouldn't you? I'm a filthy prat!"

Claire paused to read his tattoo again, lightly touching the ink as she read. "I was with you, you know. When you were sick."

Charlie made a point to look away this time, his ears turning pink. "I know."

"Why would I have come if I hated you?"

Charlie pondered this a minute, "I don't know..!"

"Please let me help you, Charlie."

He turned gently to look at her. His eyes had become softer. His gaze was less intense, sadder. She could see tears forming along his lids.

"Okay."

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**A/N: Well? How was it? I am thinking about leaving it here for now, adding an epilogue, and then starting a sequel. What do you guys think? …Another chapter or straight to the epilogue? **

**Okay, I would totally understand if some of you all feel like Claire is a little OOC. I actually did this on purpose. I wanted to challenge her, to boost her strength and give her an emotional obstacle as well. So far on the show, I have seen the sweet, sensitive and weaker side of Claire. Right now, I feel like she isn't the strongest and best developed character on the show, so I thought I'd give her a little range…hence the scene with Sayid. On the show so far, I have mainly seen how Claire has affected Charlie. I feel like Claire should be able to change to form the relationship as well, that Charlie should change her. I hope I partially succeeded. **

**As of right now, Aug. 25th, 2005, there is 27 more days until the next season opening. Yay! I am preparing myself by counting down the days, reading about it online when I can (not often) and writing it repetitively in my agenda. **

**Wow. I actually got 8 reviews. :-P It's a lot better than three, I must say. Thank you all sooo much! I hope you were somewhat satisfied by the update. It was long. I was originally planning on having Claire walk away when Charlie said "You shouldn't be here" but I figured my lovely reviewers had been waiting for three weeks, so I might as well give them something good. **

**strongshol- I miss you like cra-zy! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You should update your Reasons for Hate soon. Really. Xo. Sej.**

**pokefraks13- Of course I didn't forget your pen name! I admit, I haven't seen it on my Updated Stories list for a while now, but I don't have that bad of a memory. **

**So, now summer is over and we don't get to talk as much as we should. I'm really sorry if my emails are late and everything. **

**Making people like Sawyer was one of my goals in that last chapter. I don't know… You know I don't like him very much, but there is a lot under that sarcastic southern accent than he's letting on. I thought I'd throw that scene in, just as an idea. I think it worked alright.**

**ttyl, Sare**

**artistgirl727- I have GREAT news! I started high school, didn't get lost, and successfully made it to my art classes! I am taking basic design, which isn't as cool as I would hope, but it _is _only the second week. Then I have Drawing/Painting which is AMAZING! I _love_ that class! In middle school, our teacher would tell us exactly what to draw, and we would do it. This year, however, our teacher gives us very vague directions so we can interpret it individually and do what we like. It is wonderful. They are my favorite classes. It's great.**

**Hope you enjoyed the update. I tried to lighten things up at the end. :-)**

**selphie086- Thanks! Here's your next chapter!**

**jou65- Quebec! Even better! Canada is awesome, considering I'm partially Canadian. ;-) Guess what else? I signed up for Spanish in High School, but it was so full, I got bumped to French. I enjoy it so far. Tomorrow I have a written test on the numbers 1-39. I really like my teacher, too! Thanks! Hope you liked!**

**rockstarhobbit- ooh! Clever pen name! I love seeing different people's user names, especially when they have to do with Charlie or Dom. ;-) Yeah, summer went by all too quickly and is unfortunately over. But hey, I'm enjoying high school (except for the homework) which is a good thing. Glad your liking the story, hope to hear more from you.**

**Charlie & his Claire- Ooh! Hiking sounds like fun! When I was in Colorado, we did some hiking, nothing major though. It was a blast! I'm so happy that you are keeping up with my story; your reviews are so nice to read. Thank you so much for all the kind feedback!**

…**and smells like a grape- Lol. It took me a minute to see that the two names from different reviews were connected! Lol! Clever! Sorry, but the answer to your burning question really isn't that exciting. I don't think this chapter answered it as much as some would've hoped, but I temptation played a huge roll. He was a drug addict, meaning it was hard to give up. He took the statue, didn't he? Even though he was happy with Claire and all, temptations from the past are big. Thanks for the review!**

**Thank you all so much! I loved reading your reviews and hope you all can give me some feedback as to continue this story or move on. **

**Review ;-)**


	7. Chicks Dig That

**Disclaimer: Nope, none.**

**A/N: I KNOW I'M A HORRIBLE UPDATER! ESPECIALLY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR! I PROMISE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE FASTER!**

**Chapter Seven: Chicks Dig That**

"_The first line on the first page  
To the end of the last page  
From the start in your own way  
You just want somebody listening to what you say  
It doesn't matter who you are  
It doesn't matter who you are." Square One, Coldplay_

--------------------------

The day was practically dripping with sunlight and Charlie found himself walking towards the golf course, a club bag flung unceremoniously over his shoulder. All in all he had slept well, woken only twice by the annoying beeping of a wristwatch, the anonymous owner apparently snoring right through it. He had also managed to shake off most of the questions that were constantly being thrown his way by the other survivors ("Feeling better, Charlie?" "Healthy enough to help us with this tree?" or "You haven't used up all the Tylenol now? My back is feeling pretty sore myself…"). So, why not spend a nice day on The Green Stretch of golf heaven, relaxing and reflecting? This random "follow your feet" strategy was slowly becoming natural as odd as it seemed. Truth be told, he had never really fancied golf…

Could a day get any prettier? The sky was a brilliant cloudless blue, the grass a luscious green that practically begged him to take off his shoes and frolic in it. But he wasn't that crazy. He still had his share of manly pride…

The one-hole golf course was abandoned, accompanied only by a loud black bird that was pecking at a worm in the ground. Perfect: no one to disturb his thoughts and musings or pester him into helping slice a papaya.

Charlie closed his eyes, facing the sky and allowing his skin to absorb the warm rays. Was it really possible to be happy right now? His life appeared to have undergone a roller coaster of emotions in less than a week and yet he was standing here, feeling generally pleased. Claire didn't hate him. He didn't want drugs. And, the entire world just smiled at him. It sort of reminded him of some perfect, bright child cartoon: peaceful and uplifting.

Oh, God. He was comparing this moment to the Teletubes. _Somebody slap me._

Charlie lowered the caddy and took out a long silver club. It was cool in his grasp, the metal smooth against his finger tips. He carefully picked a flat piece of earth to place the small round golf ball, focusing on the earth and the movement of his swing. It was nice to be concentrating on something other than drugs or Claire…

…Then again, he was supposed to be reflecting. He composed himself, standing a little taller, watching the sun's light curve along the metal club. He suddenly had an urge to play guitar, a wonderful (and truly missed) feeling. But the instrument was a while a' ways and he wouldn't risk going back to camp again, the likeliness of getting caught and horded with a new batch of questions was too great. He could hear the voices of other survivors echoing in his head: "Why aren't you helping us cut down the bamboo?" "How's Claire? I heard she had a meltdown yesterday…" "What, you think you're too good to help skin the friggin' boar?"

"Hey um, dude?"

Charlie jumped and his club collided with the ball and a near impossible angle, flinging with such force that the ball skidded off to his left, rebounding off a tree stump.

"Jesus, Christ…" Charlie could feel the nervous sweat collecting around his eyebrows as his fingers automatically shot up to wipe his brow. "Hurley, you son of a…"

"Love you too, man. Hey, uh, how's it goin'?"

If Charlie hadn't been so worked up by the unwelcome spook, he might have noticed that Hurley wasn't even looking him in the eye.

"Just peachy," he exclaimed sarcastically, waving his arms about for the effect.

Hurley walked up behind him and looked out to the golf course. "Nice shot there."

"What do you want?" Charlie tried to keep the frustration from his voice, which was proving to be difficult. This was supposed to be a good day; he didn't need to get all worked up over Hurley's appearance. He was supposed to be calm. Relaxed.

"Oh, just… walking around." Hurley's eyes continued to dart about the landscape, landing anywhere other than Charlie.

"Not helping with the bamboo?" Charlie asked, smiling a bit to himself. So, maybe he wasn't the only one desiring a scene that didn't involve large axes and heavy hunks of wood threatening to trample people's toes.

"Nah…" Hurley said somewhat distractedly.

There were a few minutes of silence, during which Charlie fiddled around with the caddy to ease the awkwardness. After the zipper on the carrier became excruciatingly dull, Charlie began scuffing the bottom of his shoe, watching itty bits of particles separate from the dirt and settle into the air.

"Do you believe in it?"

Charlie raised his eyebrow, starring inquisitively at Hurley. "What?"

Hurley made funny gestures with his hands that looked uncannily like someone writing with sharpie on their fingers. "You know… _Fate_."

The truthful answer was no, but the question had caught him off guard. Charlie thought as he raked his hands through the back of his hair, glancing up into the sunlight. "I dunno…" He paused, "What's this really about, Hurley?"

"Then what was up with the tape?" Hurley ignored the latter question, making the gesture again that indicated the time when Charlie walked around with FATE taped onto his fingers.

Charlie shrugged, taking a seat next to Hurley on a nearby uplifted tree root. "It just helped me handle it, the plane crash… I didn't really want to think about the fact that I might not go home again. Kind of like an excuse, I guess. Something to believe in… What's on your mind, Hurley? You're acting… strange."

Hurley fidgeted slightly. "You know that day… when you told me about your drugs… and I said I was worth a lot of money back home…"

This brought a panging sensation into Charlie's stomach. Yes he did remember the day, though not fondly.

"Well… I was telling the truth."

Hurley waited for Charlie to interrupt, but when the rocker said nothing, continued. "I won the lottery, see? And all this crap has been happening after it. I'm… not very lucky. I-I think it's my fault we're here."

There was another uncomfortable silence as Hurley prepared to be bashed about for saying something so stupid, but Charlie was kind. "You didn't make us crash, Hurl."

"Oh, yeah? Then why does all happen to me? Huh?" Hurley was suddenly on his feet, speaking with increasing volume.

"It was an accident, okay? Don't blame yourself." Charlie kept his gaze on Hurley. It was somewhat relieving to focus on somebody else's problems, to help them even. "We all feel that way, you know. Thinking about the things in the past –remembering the stupid stuff before the crash." There was a pause during which Charlie's mind was fiercely debating as to what would happen next. But before he could censer his words, they blurted from his mouth.

"I wasn't really sick Hurley."

Struck by the quietness of Charlie's voice and such a statement, Hugo turned to face Charlie. He watched as his friend's face became somewhat paler and solemn, his lips barely moving to form the sentences. "I told you I was a junkie. I… I was overdosed the other day. Not the flu, or anything else people have told you. I made Jack stop every bloody thing he was doing so he could help the screw up. I hurt Claire and broke her trust. It doesn't get much worse than that."

Hurley became more sympathetic, forgetting the numbers now. "But… where'd you get the fix?"

"I found some drugs in Boone's plane." Seeing Hurley's discomfort, he continued sighing. "I'm pathetic.

"You know, I had a really good thing going too. I was clean and making Claire happy was the biggest concern on my mind! And now what? She still likes me. Can you believe it? After all of my damn mistakes, she's still here! I don't deserve it. Not after the whole "one minute he's clean, the next he's flat out stoned" thing. And I still want to make her happy. I just… don't know what I can give her anymore."

Hurley was still, taking in this large quantity of information. It was a moment before he could think of anything to say. "You should do something; get her mind off… things. Talk to her about feelings and crap. Chicks dig that stuff."

What? And take her to some romantic place to dine afterwards? _HELLO? Last time I checked, we're in the middle of no where! _

"Wait! That's what I have to do! Bring everything to her!" Charlie, full of newly found enthusiasm grinned in his Charlie-ish way to the man next to him. "Hurley, you are brilliant!" And with that he set off to camp, his mind buzzing with excitement.

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**A/N: Okay, I know this chapter was unreasonably short and that it is definitely not what you have been waiting a month for, but the next chappie will be much more satisfying. And don't worry, it should be up sooner. I won't make excuses about my timely updates but I'm sure you all can guess why (hint:hint: if you are a student of any kind, you will understand my pains). This was also a transition chapter, meaning it's all a bunch of scrap, mixed together in the most boring of ways simply to get you to the next major plot. And I assure you, the next chapter should NOT take as long. Unlike this one, it has a definite beginning and ending all planned. **

**The real reason why I am staying up late to update THIS VERY NIGHT is because of a most exciting event that will occur tomorrow at 9:00 eastern time zone…. THE PREMIRE OF LOST SEASON TWO! Meaning: the night I have been waiting for all summer will arrive tomorrow and I am totally psyched. Poo Desperate Housewives all right… I admit… I've never even seen the thing GO LOST! **

**:-) **

**And now to thank all of my many and day-making reviewers:**

**-artistgirl727: thank you so much! I know this chapter was a total… flop… and I am DEEPLY sorry. I think the next chapter will be so much better. My art classes have easily become my absolute favorite classes. Right now in drawing and painting we are drawing large plants in vases, and we are working with lines/cross hatching to gradually develop value. It's really awesome and I love how intense everything is! How do you like college? …Well, my update was NOT soon, so sorry. Thanks anyways for being such a wonderful and dependable reviewer!**

**-jou65: yes, well, as you can see, I have decided on continuing the story. It just made more logical sense. I love my French class, and she gives lots of quizzes so all the grades average out. It's really helpful, actually. We're moving along quickly in that class… I think. Thanks again for all of your great reviews! Hope this update was fractionally worth it. **

**-strongshol: I know. Shame on me. But, prat is a British word, and therefore I can use it whenever in British context! So, ha! JK. Miss you lots-es!**

**-Ponyboysgirl1: You cried? OMG! You are making me feel awful about this lazy, terrible update! I'm glad you are so into the story. I love it when reviewers write about what they actually like/don't like as opposed to just saying: _it was great! Keep it up! _Thank you so much, your review was amazing to read. I'm glad your liking the angst-ness, but you won't have to wait too long for fluff! You should expect a deal of fluff in upcoming chapters, so stay tuned!**

**-Sawyerslover: Your review made me laugh! Short, sweet, and to the point. I'm sure there will be more cussing for this awful update, but keep in mind next chapter will be longer and way more… exciting. 20 chapters? I'll see what I can do…**

**-pokefreaks13: I have a feeling I am going to get grief for this lousy update that you have been so eagerly awaiting. Sorry. As you can see, I decided to continue on the island… as of right now, I have a hard time picture any of them off the island, although I have definitely thought about that idea. I know! Xmas is WAAAY too far away, especially at this slow school-year rate. Argh. But great news… LOST TOMORROW! THE EPPY WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! YAY! Lololol. Miss you much. LYLAS!**

**-lost lover: OMG! If you cannot tell already, I LOVE Coldplay. The song "Yellow" is incredible and I thought, you know, because it's a good song that it would fit into that chapter. I'm so happy that you listened to it, because some people completely scan the lyrics parts but that song is so great! The sequel would be the same plot that I am about to enter, only as a new story. I don't know… I just liked the idea of my first TRUE completed story. Guess that won't happen for a while, now that I've started the new stuff. Thank you so much for the descriptive review, those are always my favorites. I'm glad you like the story. Hope you don't hate me for such a… I'm thinking naïve just because it's not involved… update. Mucho sorry-ness!**

**-Colle: Thanks! Please keep reading! ;-) **

**-Jnr Cpl Scarlett: Ooh... you're from the UK? That's really cool. It's so interesting to hear about all the different nationalities that read fanfiction! I love the unique variety! –Excellent favorite character choice, by the way.—Thanks!**

**-S: Sorry for the long wait for such a… boring cliffhanger… chapter. Everything should be moving up soon and become more exciting! New plot: more fluff than angst this time. As for "whatnot" it just kind of means "etc," that sort of thing. Sorry, I know everybody has their own word or phrase they can't stand. Mine is "with that in mind" because my annoying English teacher says that every other minute. My cousin hates it when people say "pitch dark." Lol. It's funny how those little things can be so annoying!**

**Well… You know what to do… **

**No flames please, I already know this chapter was tiring and uneventful.**

**:-/ **

**:-D **


	8. Not Just Any Guy Now

**Disclaimer: None……………………..!**

**A/N: Warning- this update contains fluff. :-)**

**Chapter Eight: Not Just Any Guy Now**

"_I walked across an empty land  
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand  
I felt the earth beneath my feet  
Sat by the river and it made me complete."_ _Somewhere Only We Know, Keane_

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Claire grabbed up a new pair of nappies and brushed a string of hair from her face. Aaron was being unusually grouchy today, but she supposed he deserved some complaining time after all the time she had spent with Charlie…

Little boy legs flung around in utmost defiance as Claire attempted to brace the bit of cloth from his bottom. "Oh, Aaron," she sighed. "Just let me change you, alright?" His face continued to grew reddish-purple in protest and a vein began throb above his left eyebrow. Shifting him to the side ever so slightly, she finally managed to remove the soiled diaper and ball it up into the old nappies pile, which had mounted disturbingly against the wall of the caves.

After quickly attaching the new cloth around his middle she pulled Aaron up triumphantly and said, "There: clean, fresh nappies. See, doesn't that feel better?" Aaron's cries became less vigorous but continued all the same. "Are you jealous?... Of Charlie?" Claire asked swinging Aaron into the cradle position. "I know we've been spending a lot of time with him. He's normally so cute and funny. But lately he's needed our help, Aaron." The baby's cries were slowly turning into pathetic tiny whimpers. "I suppose we _have _been around him a lot. But guess what? He has a surprise for us today, Aaron! A surprise! Imagine Thomas throwing us a surprise…"

The thought was nearly humorous. There was once a time when she would've believed that Thomas could go out of his way to make her feel special, although the idea died the moment she saw his face when he said they couldn't 'make it'. She wasn't expecting much out of the surprise. Hell, Charlie could lead her to a spot with a large mutilated dead shark and she wouldn't care! The point was: he wasn't Thomas. Charlie wouldn't give up on her like that.

Claire's musings were broken by an unexpected silence. Aaron cuddled in her arms, his eyes alert and his mouth moved about minus the sounds. Claire smiled down at him. "Charlie would make a good father, you know. Some woman will be very lucky to have him…"

This was hard to say, but she knew that she couldn't blame Charlie for taking off if or when they were rescued. He was a man of great things and Claire didn't want to weigh him down, postponing his dreams of success.

But on the island… that was different…

"Hey."

Kate had entered the caves, heading determinedly to her bags to pull out a clean shirt. Dripping with sweat she said, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Claire nodded her head, gazing out into the open end of the cave. It was indeed a gorgeous day and she could see the brightness of the blue sky despite the faded darkness of the roofed shelter. "Yes, it is." She waited a moment while Kate pulled her tank top over her head. "Hey, do you know what time it is?"

"No. Locke said it was nearly noon, though. Why?"

A jolt of excitement ran through Claire. Nearly noon… Charlie said to meet him at noon! Claire began stretching about; they might as well start heading off now. "Oh, no reason… just curious."

It was a lie, but Claire had managed to avoid an obvious blush. Why was she making such a big deal out of this? It was only Charlie, nothing to fret over. Then again, Claire couldn't remember the last time a _guy_ had thrown a surprise for her. Best not to get her hopes up though…

Kate trudged past Claire, breaking her musings. "See you later, then."

Claire smiled a goodbye and exited the caves behind her. It was indeed a beautiful day: clear and light, but Claire had learned not to judge the island weather conditions simply by sight. She knew that soon enough the humidity would sink in and she would entirely forget about any previous assumption of nice weather.

She looked about for any sign of someone with a watch, but the only other person she saw was Hurley, having a bit of trouble zipping up a tote bag. Most people would be down near the beaches now, enjoying a bit of sun for a few minutes in between their busy routines. "Hello Hurley…"

Hurley shot up quickly and when he saw Claire he began to stammer a little. "Oh, right. Hello, Claire."

"Do you know what time it is? I mean, do you have a watch or anything?"

Somewhat nervous now, his eyes darting around as though he had forgotten something, "no… I um… Charlie told me to tell you… uh…" He scratched his head feeling incredibly stupid. "Just follow the trail…"

Claire beamed. Charlie really had this thing all planned out… A trail and everything… "Thank you Hurley."

She turned and looked at the trees before her. Sure enough there was a bit of red cloth taped up against a bare tree to her right. Grinning to herself, she began to pick her way through the forest following the red cloth tags.

The walk was brief and Claire was surprised to see a blur of color so near in the distance. Rounding upon a clearing, Claire breathed in sharply.

It was breathtaking. Beneath the canopy of tree branches and bursts of sunlight was a quaint eating quarters: the cute, classic picnic scene complete with white (or what used to be white) beach towels, a woven wood basket and artfully arranged (wooden) plates and bowls. Claire became suddenly light and so filled with the purity of joy that it was hard to believe she was still on ground.

Charlie approached looking rather dashing; he was wearing untarnished jeans and a fitted black shirt (Lord knows where he had been hiding _them_!). Claire felt warmth spreading across her cheeks as she blushed at her own appearance. After all, her top was loose and covered in a mixture of mud and sweat. It was hard to keep from grimacing at what a horror she must look…

"May I?"

Charlie extended his arm to indicate taking hers in return, and Claire let out a small giggle she had unsuccessfully stifled. Rotating Aaron into her left arm, her right hand could now lace around his forearm allowing him to lead her to the picnic arrangement. "Charlie this is…" She looked around still in delightful awe, "_amazing_."

When Charlie smiled, he felt his entire insides glow with content. _Be cool_, he reminded himself, trying not to grin like an idiot. "Oh, it was nothing."

Unconvinced but humoring him, Claire changed the subject. Sitting down elegantly on the soft towel, she looked at her surroundings. "So, what's in the basket?"

"Fruit," Charlie brought the basket between them, causing less tension now that the space between them was less... empty. "It doesn't hold much, but I thought we could have these for appetizers." Charlie pulled out numerous fruits from within the carrier. "And- a picnic isn't a picnic without a picnic basket!"

"Surely not!" Claire felt elated. Her smile felt as though it stretched from ear to ear and her heartbeat was fluttering unevenly beneath her breast.

Claire repositioned Aaron (who was being abnormally quiet this afternoon) into her lap. Still enormously curious, she continued. "What brought this," she nodded towards the whole picnic idea, "on?"

Charlie was struck with mock indignation, "What do you mean? Can't a man plan an innocent picnic anymore?"

Reaching for a sliver of pineapple, Claire played, "Of course he can, and it's all utterly flattering!"

Charlie was finding it increasingly difficult to remain "cool." "I'm glad you think so."

This remark caused a coquettish glance from Claire, such a one that made him feel uncomfortable in a way that he was quite speechless. Wiping the palm of his hands along his jeans, his mind thinking fast, he spoke, "How's turnip-head this morning?" Charlie reached forward, taking Aaron and holding him so the boy was standing on Charlie's knee.

"Fine, fussy about changing as usual," Claire bit into the pineapple and watched Charlie making goofy faces at Aaron. "He really does enjoy your company, you know."

"And why shouldn't he," the lightness of comical sarcasm noticeable in his voice.

"Because sometimes, Charlie Pace can be a bit of a nutter," Claire joked at his unbelievably silly bug eyed face. After a fake-wounded expression from Charlie, she added, "But, a very adorable nutter."

"Yes, well. I try." Charlie smiled at her and placed Aaron into his own lap, taking a few bites of imaginary sausage.

The flirtatious chit-chat between bites continued on for an hour, both Claire and Charlie smiling so much that the thought of even attempting to frown would be impossible. Claire had just mentioned how storm clouds were approaching when a raindrop suddenly landed squarely on Claire's nose.

Within minutes the picnic scene had turned into a furious mud pit. Hard rain was beating down threateningly from all directions, instantly halting Charlie's plans of further conversation or romance. Instead, the two hurriedly grabbed as many things as they could carry, Aaron safely between Claire's arms, and ran off to the nearest shelter.

Claire felt suddenly cold entering the caves, rainwater dripping off her chin and collecting attractively in her eyelashes. Both of their cloths were sopping, water sloshing unpleasantly in their shoes. Claire's skin shivered from the sticking clothing and she looked towards Charlie whose hair was plastered wetly onto his head, his gaze darting about trying to find some sort of cover up for the unexpected falter in his plan. "So much for the picnic," was all he managed to say with a half shrug, his hand jutting automatically to the back of his head to squeeze the water from it. He felt embarrassed, but he wasn't entirely sure why. It wasn't like he had made it rain or whatever.

"No, Charlie. It was _perfect_. Really."

The moment Charlie looked into her eyes he was lost in her reassuring expression. Her features, so pleasant and innocent, made Charlie's stomach flip into the familiar knot. Maybe it wasn't so bad that they were wet and alone in the caves.

Neither could speak, both under the intense spell that had been cast by a single glance. It was a beautiful silence, the dull pitter patter of rain outside the cave entrance… the loud thudding of each person's own conscious heartbeat… the thankfully quiet Aaron placed upon a makeshift bed of blankets and towels inches away from Claire's right foot.

At the same moment, the two leaned in slowly closing the space between them until their lips touched. Claire felt a tingle rise up her spine the moment their mouths collided, a sense of school-girl joy filling within her. She reached up carefully, first wrapping her arms around his neck and then softly playing with the ends of his blonde hair, twisting the bits damp fluff around her finger tips. In those few seconds, the rest of the world melted away: the crash, the drugs, Thomas… Her entire mind was singing with the idea of Charlie's lips against hers and his arms around her waist.

The intimate kiss lingered on for minutes, Claire gently brushing the back of her hand along the scruff of his cheek, Charlie delicately holding her shoulders. The two wrapped within each others arms seemed so perfect and ideal. It was only when Charlie had began tracing the neckline of her shirt when Claire felt the weight of weakness and vulnerability just below her diaphragm. Pulling away, she felt for his hands and held them tenderly.

Watching Charlie's face at that moment reminded Claire why she loved him so much. Yes, there was disappointment etched within the lines of his face, but more importantly there was understanding. Charlie scooted towards her a little, only she knew his intentions had been anything but of hostility. Claire was surprised when she felt herself tearing up, the pre-sob thickness clinging to her throat, "Thank you."

Charlie brought Claire's hands up to his lips and hollowly whispered, "For what?"

Claire gulped down as many tears as she could hold. "For taking things slow. It hasn't exactly been easy after…" She trailed off, her right hand shooting instinctively towards her abdomen.

"It's okay." His voice was soothing and calm. It was funny, actually, because Charlie was taking this slow just as much for him as he was for her. He didn't think he could live with himself if he screwed this up, not when Claire was so important to him. This relationship was saving him, keeping him from breaking into tiny irreparable pieces. It was saving him from utter depression. It was keeping him alive, giving him something to live for.

He just sat there taking her in. He wanted to freeze this moment, to make it last for an eternity. He and Claire, together in the caves: no tension, no arguments, no hatch, no plane, no drugs. Just… togetherness.

This feeling was virtually indescribable. A feeling of total fullness and powerful emotion was fluttering throughout his veins, causing an incomprehensible weightlessness to wisp around him and glitter in the space between them.

Charlie studied the way she was posed, sitting cross legged knee-to-knee with him. Claire's eyes were more alight than he had seen them in days, a sad smile tugging gently at her lip. Her arms, draped elegantly over her calves and hands entwined with his own.

In a meaningful quietness, Charlie gazed into the depths of her eyes. He felt so… whole. His entire life seemed to have a purpose. His mind was erased of past faults and intrusions. This must be who the real Charlie Pace was: Claire's Charlie. It just _had_ to be…

Charlie reached up and tucked a stray curling wet strand of hair behind Claire's ear. It was amazing: the way the cool silkiness felt against his fingertips, the way her very being just made him feel so complete. "You're so beautiful."

She wanted his hand to stay there, his warm touch soothing against her stony cheek. His words filled her heart, a knot forming in the dark of her throat. "Even before?"

He took both of Claire's cheeks in his hands now, cupping them gently and speaking to her in a most naturally truthful manner, "…Always."

Claire couldn't help but laugh with the realness of the situation. It was a soft, sad laugh, broken thickly between sobs. "I don't know many guys who would call an eight month pregnant woman _beautiful_."

Buffing out his shoulders a bit he declared, "Well I'm not just any guy, am I now?"

The barrier between pre-sob and crying had been defeated. Claire shook with the force of her tears and she hid her face looking pointedly at the floor. Her shoulders heaved almost gracefully as she covered her mouth with her hands, ashamed for her unstableness. It was crying, but not just for happiness or sadness. It was a combination of every thought and feeling Claire had experienced since the crash, all compacted into tiny drips of individual tears.

Charlie took her lovingly into his arms, holding her and relaxing her shivers. "Claire, you have a wonderful child." Claire smiled against the shoulder of his shirt looking beyond into the lump of blankets that was her son.

Charlie knew just how to mend her. He knew what made her tick, what hurt her and what frightened her. He would try his hardest to smooth things down despite the bumps and cracks that came along their way. He didn't flinch when she saw she was pregnant but bared no wedding band. He didn't run off and hide all those times that she screamed at him for stupid reasons controlled by hormones. He was so unbelievably patient with her and Aaron. Charlie Pace was a truly amazing man.

"Thank you, Charlie," she whispered softly into the still cave air. "Thank you."

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**A/N: Alright. So… what do you think? I really liked this chapter… all the intimacy and fluff (but not pink, cotton candy, sap dripping fluff). I actually had the majority of this chapter done over a week ago, but I didn't want the ending to be so obviously… energy consuming. Like, the beginning and picnic part was originally feebly weak and the ending was…BAM! I needed to even it out a bit, add to the climax of the scene. **

**Great news everyone! I got into the play _Blithe Spirit_ at Walden! I'm really excited, especially because I am cast with so many great actors! I have rehearsal three times a week, but hopefully it won't put off too much fic time, and if it does, I shall purposely write to my best ability during the time frame I have. I don't want to become one of those "float-y stories" that take so long to post that everyone's lost interest (although I'm afraid I've already become one…). **

**I got more reviews than I expected from the last chapter… I totally understand about it being shallow-ish. Hope this chapter was more intriguing! **

**-artistgirl727- This really shows how time consuming everything else is in my life… You asked about the season opener, and now it's almost to Hurley's #4! I liked the season premiere because it continued on the questions (etc) from last season. However, LOST is becoming a TOTALLY different show now, which has its pluses and minuses. I kind of miss the "normalcy" from season one, where everything was so less… intense. But, intensity is kind of cool now, because it's answering our questions and keeping us on our toes. Personally, I don't like the idea of ENTIRE thing as a science experiment. I mean, it makes perfect sense and all but, isn't it too simple? I really don't thing the Dharma thing is it though, because they _do_ still have the rest of the season to uncover things…. Anyways, glad college is fun! Hope you liked the update!**

**-smartykid- hope that "wow" is a good wow…**

**-pokefreaks13- argh! I want the driveshaft song! (In Thomas voice) LUCKY! I am just about to email you guys about episode three (yes, I know I'm a little late) so I won't do a horribly long review reply. Yes I agree, though. The eppy was great! Hope you liked the CC-centricness:-D**

**-strongshol- sorry about Teletubbies… haven't watched them for a while.. ;-)**

**-kiss316- Hope this chapter was interesting enough to forgive the last chapter! I really like this one… but that's just me… Thanks mucho-ly!**

**-Ponyboysgirl1- I truly hope this chapter lived up to your expectations and that my eagerness wasn't all hype. Thank you so much for reviewing! This chapter was way more CC than the last one :-) **

**You all know what to do! Review! **

**-----redireas**


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